After Tuesday’s frantic day of action, which wrapped up the Round of 16, the top eight teams are now set to compete for the 2026 World Cup title.
France vs. Morocco kicks off the round on Thursday; the two teams faced off in the semifinals of Qatar 2022, while on Friday, Spain and Belgium will reenact their quarterfinal matchup from Mexico ’86, and on Saturday, in a doubleheader, England—in a showdown of star strikers—will face Norway (Kane vs. Haaland), and Argentina will take on a tough Swiss team in Kansas City.
Below, we present the complete picture of the tournament: who’s still in the running for the trophy and how the next phase will play out.
How does the knockout stage work?
From the Round of 16 to the grand final scheduled for July 19, there’s no room for error: teams must win every match to continue their journey toward the championship. Whoever loses is out.
Unlike the group stage, draws are no longer an option. If a match ends in a tie after 90 minutes of regulation time, the outcome will be decided as follows:
- Extra Time: Two 15-minute overtime periods will be played.
- Penalty shootout: If the score remains tied, the match will be decided by penalty kicks. The teams will take turns taking five penalty kicks each; if the score is still tied after those five attempts, the match will proceed to “sudden death” until one team scores and the other misses. (It’s worth noting that the epic 2022 final between Argentina and France was decided precisely this way.)
Bracket Standings as of July 8 and Remaining Round of 16 Matches
The stage is set for the Round of 16, with matchups that promise to be explosive. Here’s how the next round will play out:
July 9
- France vs. Morocco—Foxboro, Mass. (4:00 p.m. ET)
July 10
- Spain vs. Belgium — Los Angeles, CA (3:00 p.m. ET)
July 11
- Norway vs. England — Miami, Fla. (4:00 p.m. ET)
- Switzerland vs. Argentina — Kansas City, MO (9:00 p.m. ET)
The Standings So Far: Qualifiers and Eliminated Teams
The cut has been brutal, and several teams have already said goodbye to their World Cup dreams following the intense Round of 16.
✅ Teams Qualified for the Quarterfinals:
- France
- Morocco
- Argentina
- England
- Norway
- Switzerland
❌ Eliminated Teams (Knockout Stages):
- Germany
- Algeria
- Australia
- Austria
- Ivory Coast
- Croatia
- Ecuador
- Japan
- Netherlands
- Democratic Republic of the Congo
- Senegal
- South Africa
- Sweden
- Cape Verde
- Ghana
- Paraguay
- Canada
- Mexico
- United States
- Egypt
- Colombia
- Portugal
